We mentioned above that that F11 is at the end of its lifespan. This one as well is almost dead as Konica Minolta’s compact will soon disappear. The manufacturer has decided to stop production, because of a lack of profitability. This will happen in theoretically in September except for the reflex division that was bought by Sony. We included the X1 because some of you may find a very good deal on this camera, because it’s the last of this series. Here is an 8 megapixel with stabilization for only 300€, which was formally at 450 € at the end of 2005. We understand how buyers could be tempted.

Image Stabilization

Konica Minolta equipped this camera with a double stabilization device. The entire lens and sensor move to compensate for vibrations. The block rotates on a vertical and horizontal axis. Is this really efficient? Unfortunately, no. Sharp picture are taken starting at 1/13 s, whereas it’s only 1/8s or even 1/5s for Panasonic, for example. Moreover, the level of detail with the 200 ISO and 1/13s combination is not as good as the competition’s.

It’s interesting to point out that another camera equipped with a lens of this type, the Sony DSC-T9 didn’t provide better results.

Verdict

We would have liked to have finished on a positive note, but unfortunately this won’t happen. The camera finishing touches are much too light. This type of very flat camera is in principle supposed to go in your pocket or in a purse but the finish is very fragile. It quickly gets scratched or damaged and even fingerprints stay. It’s best to take extra care with this camera, find a cover and polish it from time to time.Also, even if the camera is quick in switching on, or between two pictures it becomes tiresome. You need to wait from 5 to seven seconds between two images!We also found a few defects in the white balance. This is the reason why there are many over represented colours, especially red. Finally, the 8 megapixel sensor didn’t impress us much and good 6 megapixels capture as much detail.